raw · papers · ingested 2026-06-26
An Updated Review of Solar Cooling Systems Driven by Photovoltaic–Thermal (PV/T) Collectors
Source: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/14/5331
Source: Energies (MDPI), 2023, DOI 10.3390/en16145331 (open access). Credibility: High (recent dedicated review, open access). Confidence: high.
Why PV/T matters
A PV/T collector co-generates electricity and heat from one aperture, sidestepping the “PV or thermal” dichotomy — it can drive an electric chiller and a sorption chiller, and cools the PV cells (raising their efficiency) using the same fluid that feeds the thermal cooling cycle.
Key numbers (PV/T driving each cycle)
- Absorption on PV/T: max COP 0.615; annual electricity savings CNY 109,080; min payback 9.3 yr.
- Adsorption on PV/T: max electricity 81.7 kWh/day; effective/combined COP up to 2.1; min payback 8.45 yr.
- Hybrid PV/T + desiccant + vapor-compression: overall COP 0.68 — beats evacuated-tube + absorption (0.34) and plain PV + vapor-compression (0.29).
- Covers four PV/T-driven cooling families: absorption, adsorption, ejector, desiccant; absorption is most mature/commercially adaptable.
Relevance
Fills a complete wiki gap (no prior PV/T coverage). PV/T is the leading “better option” that hybridizes rather than chooses between PV and thermal. Feeds solar-cooling-pv-vs-thermal and a new photovoltaic-cooling concept.